One of the most controversial environmental issues in Kansas — building wind turbines in the Flint Hills — will be up for debate at Kansas University on Friday.

The school is hosting a symposium on “Preservation and Innovation: Climate Change, Agriculture and Wind Energy in the Kansas Flint Hills.”

Kansas is among the top states in the country for wind energy development. And while the Flint Hills is a prime location for wind energy development, the region also holds some of the last tallgrass prairies in the country. That fact has resulted in many environmental groups speaking out against wind energy development in the region.

Friday’s event will give students and the public a chance to watch and engage in the different perspectives of wind energy development and climate change, particularly in the Flint Hills.

Speakers will include scientists, government officials and energy industry experts. The symposium will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Commons in Spooner Hall on KU’s campus.